Cultivating in a Bizarre World

After the lockdown of the Disaster Mitigation Forbidden Area ended, the Forbidden Guards prepared to withdraw.

As for the twelve strange herbs on Camel Peak Mountain, according to Song Zongwu, they had grown under the influence of the Disaster Mitigation Forbidden Area.

The ecosystem around nearly every sealed forbidden area would change.

They represented the twelve types of Mysterious Objects contained within the Disaster Mitigation Forbidden Area.

The characteristics of the Mysterious Objects could be seen in the herbs’ appearance, but Ren Qing always felt that one was missing.

The real number should have been thirteen, not twelve.

He didn’t know much about the Disaster Mitigation Forbidden Area, but he had hinted at it to Song Zongwu, who found nothing unusual after checking again.

Under the circumstances, there was naturally no reason to remain on Camel Peak Mountain.

After all these days, the faces of the Government Constables were etched with a lingering exhaustion.

Of course, there were also those like Xiaowu, who had withstood the pressure and been completely transformed. His once-thin body had become much more robust.

Once they returned to Sanxiang City, Xiaowu was all but guaranteed a promotion to a full-fledged Government Constable, and his monthly income in silver coins would multiply several times over.

The group of several dozen people set off on their return journey.

The Forbidden Guards followed behind the Government Constables to guard against sudden beast attacks.

Only the Land God chose to travel by burrowing underground.

They traveled for dozens of li and found that the nearby Mountain People had all evacuated. The villages were empty, without a single soul in sight.

Ren Qing didn’t try to make contact with the Mysterious Object from the Sutra of Planting Demons, mainly because as a Forbidden Guard, he wouldn’t lack opportunities. Why take such a risk?

The party marched from dawn till dusk. As night fell, they found an open area to make camp and rest.

The Forbidden Guards spread out nearby, cultivating on their own so as not to disturb one another, and they each handled their own food.

Ren Qing was just about to swallow some Beast Eyes to practice his visualization technique when he noticed several constables shivering by the campfire.

He walked over and asked, "What’s wrong?"

A constable answered through chattering teeth, "It’s nothing, constable Ren. Just feeling a bit cold."

It was only then that Ren Qing realized several other Government Constables were in a similar state.

’But it’s almost summer. How can it be cold in the middle of April?’

The reason the Forbidden Guards hadn’t noticed was that the temperature difference wasn’t significant. For their physiques, it was completely unremarkable.

Ren Qing couldn’t figure out the source of the problem and could only suspect it was the mountain wind, which was chilling them to the bone.

He used his Great Miao Blade to fell a few trees. Once they had enough firewood, the issue was largely resolved.

The temperature didn’t drop any further.

Ren Qing relaxed. With Song Zongwu and the others around, he didn’t need to worry about danger.

He sat cross-legged on high ground, immersing himself completely in the Contemplation of the Eyeless Method.

Although the Information Flow could forcibly advance a Magic Technique, true mastery still depended on his own efforts.

Ren Qing’s current Double Pupils were vastly different from when he had first reached the Half-Corpse Realm. He was beginning to grasp the true power of the Magic Technique.

His "Anticipating the Enemy" ability could even sense danger, making it far more than just pure reflexes.

Unconsciously, Ren Qing’s Soul slowly drifted out, as if it were standing above his head, looking down at his own body.

He didn’t dare try to move it. If his Soul were damaged, the loss would far outweigh any gain.

Ren Qing was simply acclimating to the state of Body and Soul Separation, preparing for his future advancement to the Twin Nightmare Ghosts.

As he focused his concentration, he could clearly hear the nearby stirrings, such as the snores of the Government Constables and the faint traces of nocturnal insects hunting for prey.

Suddenly, Ren Qing’s brows furrowed.

A strange rustling and scraping sound reached his ears.

It sounded a bit like flesh being torn, mixed with the crunch of bones being ground to dust.

His Mental Realm was disturbed, and Ren Qing instantly snapped out of his state of Body and Soul Separation. His eyes flew open, and he quickly scanned his surroundings.

But the camp was peaceful. He couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, nor did it seem like his senses were being affected by some Mysterious Object.

Ren Qing wanted to enter the state of Body and Soul Separation again to confirm what he’d heard, but haste makes no speed. The more he tried to force it, the harder it was to find the state.

He had to settle for focusing on his visualization technique, which still allowed him to remain aware of his surroundings.

However, nothing strange happened on the mountain by the time the sun came up, which only served to put Ren Qing on edge.

The Government Constables were refreshed after a full night’s sleep and each ate a simple meal of dry rations.

Ren Qing pushed the distracting thoughts from his mind and ordered everyone to pack up, intending to return to Sanxiang City as quickly as possible.

They traveled the whole way in silence.

As the setting sun shone upon them, they could already see the towering city gates in the distance.

Everyone subconsciously quickened their pace. Seeing that they were escorted by Forbidden Guards, the Official Soldiers at the gate let them pass without an inspection.

The bustling streets, filled with people coming and going, came into view.

Street vendors hawked their wares, and the smell of food and wine filled the air. Stalls selling braised dishes were everywhere.

It brought tears to the eyes of some of the Government Constables.

Compared to their temporary camp in the mountains, this felt like a return to the Mortal World.

"Damn it, I was about to go stir-crazy."

Huang Ziwang, wearing his Conical Hat, took off at a run into the city proper.

Mu Yi and the others bid farewell to Song Zongwu and also left one by one.

Song Zongwu’s expression, however, was somewhat puzzled.

He stopped and said, "Ren Qing, take the Government Constables to report to the Government Office. I’ll come find you in a few days."

Ren Qing couldn’t help but ask, "Elder Song, what’s wrong?"

"Have you seen the Land God?"

"I saw him at the beginning, but not after he went underground."

Song Zongwu nodded and said, "I must be overthinking things."

The Land God had left the group early, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that the man had been strangely excited, as if he were hiding something.

Ren Qing didn’t think much of it and returned to the Government Office with the other Government Constables.

The other Government Constables politely expressed their gratitude to Ren Qing, even offering to treat him to a banquet, but he turned them all down.

They couldn’t rest just yet; they first had to go to the County Magistrate to receive their rewards.

As Ren Qing walked, his brows furrowed again.

’That sound my Soul perceived last night... did it come from underground?!!’

...

Smoke drifted from the recently extinguished campfire. Firewood was scattered about, and there were even leftover dry rations from the Government Constables.

Night fell, and cracks began to spread across the ground.

Nearby birds took flight, as if sensing something amiss.

A moment later, a blood-red seedling sprouted on the hillside. In the blink of an eye, it grew to several meters in size. From its appearance, it seemed to be an herb.

The herb’s stem was covered in human faces, and its leaves pulsed like hearts.

If Ren Qing had been there, he would have recognized it as the herb that had vanished from the Disaster Mitigation Forbidden Area—the Mysterious Object connected to the "Sutra of Planting Demons."

As the cracks widened and split the hillside open, the giant herb’s root system was fully exposed.

Strangely, a corpse was attached to the end of its roots.

The corpse was half-human, half-beast, covered in scales like a Pangolin. It was the Land God himself.

He seemed frozen at the moment of death, the greed still visible on his face. The roots grew out from inside his body, suggesting that he had voluntarily swallowed the herb’s seed while alive.

A faint mist spread out. Any beast that came near the giant herb dissolved into a pool of pus, which was then absorbed by the roots.

The herb continued to grow, soon reaching a height of over ten meters, and the area covered by the mist expanded ever wider.

The mist dissipated.

Like a living thing, the herb burrowed back into the Land God’s body.

The Land God awoke, staring at his own hands with a strange expression.

"Who am I? I’m alive again..."